1942 Wisconsin Badgers football
National champion (HAF)
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Ranking
APNo. 3
Record8–1–1 (4–1 Big Ten)
Head coach
MVPDave Schreiner
CaptainDave Schreiner
Mark Hoskins
Home stadiumCamp Randall Stadium
Seasons
← 1941
1943 →
1942 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 Ohio State $ 5 – 1 – 0 9 – 1 – 0
No. 3 Wisconsin 4 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 1
No. 9 Michigan 3 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Illinois 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Iowa 3 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
No. 19 Minnesota 3 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Indiana 2 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Purdue 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
Northwestern 0 – 6 – 0 1 – 9 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1942 Wisconsin Badgers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Wisconsin in the 1942 Big Ten Conference football season. The team compiled an 8–1–1 record (4–1 against conference opponents), finished in second place in the Big Ten Conference, led the conference in scoring defense (6.8 points allowed per game),[1] and was ranked No. 3 in the final AP Poll. Harry Stuhldreher was in his seventh year as Wisconsin's head coach.[2][3]

The Helms Athletic Foundation selected Wisconsin as the 1942 national champion at the end of the season, giving the program its only national championship.[4][5] Ohio State, a team that Wisconsin defeated, was selected as national champion in the AP Poll.[6][7][8]

The team played its home games at Camp Randall Stadium. During the 1942 season, the average attendance at home games was 29,026.[9]

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 19Camp Grant*
W 7–0[10]
September 26Notre Dame*
  • Camp Randall Stadium
  • Madison, WI
T 7–723,243
October 3Marquette*
  • Camp Randall Stadium
  • Madison, WI
W 35–735,000[11]
October 10Missouri*
  • Camp Randall Stadium
  • Madison, WI
W 17–9
October 17at Great Lakes Navy*No. 7
W 13–730,000[12]
October 24at PurdueNo. 7
W 13–020,000
October 31No. 1 Ohio StatedaggerNo. 6
  • Camp Randall Stadium
  • Madison, WI
W 17–745,000
November 7at IowaNo. 2
L 0–6
November 14at NorthwesternNo. 7
W 20–19
November 21No. 10 MinnesotaNo. 7
  • Camp Randall Stadium
  • Madison, WI (rivalry)
W 20–646,000
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[2][3]

Rankings

See also: 1942 NCAA football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes
Week
Poll1234567Final
AP77 (2)6 (1)2 (20.33)774 (2)3 (4)

Awards and honors

End Dave Schreiner received the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the Big Ten's most valuable player.[13] Schreiner was also selected as a unanimous first-team player on the 1942 College Football All-America Team.[14] Schreiner joined the United States Marine Corps and was killed in action during the Battle of Okinawa in June 1945.[15]

In addition to Schreiner, other Wisconsin players receiving All-America or All-Big Ten honors in 1942 were:

Three players from the 1942 Wisconsin team have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame: Dave Schreiner in 1955;[19] Elroy Hirsch in 1974;[20] and Pat Harder in 1993.[21]

Dave Schreiner received the team's most valuable player award.[22] Schreiner and Mark Hoskins were the team captains.[23]

References

  1. ^ "1942 Big Ten Conference Year Summary". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  2. ^ a b "1942 Wisconsin Badgers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. March 13, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Wisconsin Football 2016 Fact Book" (PDF). University of Wisconsin. 2016. pp. 212, 219. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 30, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  4. ^ "Badgers Rated Nation's No. 1". Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin. January 11, 1943. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  5. ^ Jenkins, Dan (September 11, 1967), "This Year The Fight Will Be in the Open", Sports Illustrated, Chicago, IL: Time Inc., 27 (11): 33, retrieved March 16, 2016, In 1948, the Helms Athletic Foundation decided to name a national champion … and name past champions. The director of Helms since its beginning, Bill Schroeder, did the work, and he now heads the committee that selects No. 1 after the bowl games. 'A committee of one – me,' he says.
  6. ^ "1942 College Football National Championship". TipTop25.com. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  7. ^ Andy Baggott (January 8, 2013). "We are — or were — the champions?". Wisconsin State Journal.
  8. ^ 2016 Fact Book, p. 328.
  9. ^ 2016 Fact Book, p. 258.
  10. ^ Wilfrid Smith (September 20, 1942). "Wisconsin Beats Camp Grant, 7-0". Chicago Tribune. pp. 2–1, 2–6 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Willard R. Smith (October 4, 1942). "Wisconsin Romps Over Marquette, 35-7". The Wisconsin State Journal. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Irving Vaughan (October 18, 1942). "Badger Rally Wins, 13-7, Over Great Lakes". Chicago Tribune. pp. 2–1, 2–8 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Schreiner Named Most Valuable In Big Nine: Tribune Silver Football Won By Badger End". Chicago Tribune. December 20, 1942. p. 2-1.
  14. ^ "2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2014. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 22, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
  15. ^ "Schreiner of Badgers Dies on Okinawa". Chicago Tribune. June 30, 1945. p. 2-1.
  16. ^ ESPN College Football Encyclopedia. ESPN Books. 2005. p. 1187. ISBN 1401337031.
  17. ^ a b c "Four Badgers Placed On All Big Ten Grid Team". The Milwaukee Sentinel (AP story). November 29, 1942.
  18. ^ a b c Tommy Devine (December 1, 1942). "Wisconsin End Top Gridder On All Big Ten Eleven". Reading Eagle (UP story). p. 15.
  19. ^ "Dave Schreiner". National Football Foundation. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  20. ^ "Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch". National Football Foundation. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  21. ^ "Pat Harder". National Football Foundation. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  22. ^ 2016 Fact Book, p. 181.
  23. ^ 2016 Fact Book, p. 185.
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